Country Harvest Bread

This recipe came around when I got irritated for paying $3 for a loaf of bread that wasn’t very good.

Both Kevin and I eat quite a bit of bread, we were sometimes going through 2 or 3 loaves a week. Which can add up and again that didn’t taste good. Don’t get me wrong I don’t mind spending money on good bread, but the Country Harvest Bread we were buying was mediocre at best.

This recipe took some time, trying different amounts of ingredients and time to get it just right. If you enjoy bread as much as we do I’m sure you will enjoy this one.

INGREDIENTS

3 cups warm water

2 (.25 ounce or 4.5 teaspoons) packages of active dry yeast

1/3 cup honey (I used Paradis Honey, it’s my all-time favourite)

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 cups whole wheat flour

1/4 cup flax seed

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1/3 cup honey

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2 tablespoons butter, melted

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl, mix warm water, yeast, and 1/3 cup honey. Add 2 cups of all-purpose flour and 3 cups of whole wheat flour, and stir to combine.

Let set for 30 minutes, or until big and bubbly.

Mix in 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1/3 cup honey, and salt.

Then add the flax, sesame, & poppy seeds

Stir in 1 cup whole wheat flour.

Flour a flat surface with 1.5 to 2 cups of whole wheat flour and knead until not real sticky – just pulling away from the counter, but still sticky to touch.

Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the surface of the dough. Cover with a dishtowel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled (about 30 min).

Punch down, and divide into 3 loaves. Place in greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pans, and allow to rise until dough has topped the pans by one inch (about 30 min).

Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 to 30 minutes; do not over-bake. Lightly brush the tops of loaves with 2 tablespoons of melted butter when done to prevent the crust from getting hard. Cool completely

Just a side note if you let the bread rise for too long when it bakes it falls in the oven.